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FURANO |
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The main reason to come to the sleepy farm town of FURANO , 120km
northeast of Sapporo, is to ski at the renowned World Cup resort on the
slopes of Mount Kitanomine. Famous for being the location of the old
soap opera Kita no Kuni Kara ( From the North Country ), which followed
the dramas of a Tokyo family adapting to life in Hokkaido, Furano is
also the focus of many a salaryman's dreams about escaping the rat race.
Furano's ski resort, overlooking Mount Furano and the smoking volcano
Tokachi-dake (both within the southern border of Daisetsu-zan National
Park), is run by the Prince hotel group. The slopes are challenging but
not as varied or as long as those at Niseko . Lift passes start at ¥1900
for a night ticket (5-9pm) and go up to ¥4500 for a one-day ticket.
Furano is best reached by direct bus from Sapporo, a service which takes
around two and a half hours; ask to be dropped by the road leading up to
ski-jo , rather than getting off in the centre of town, since you'll
only have to backtrack. Check with tourist information in Sapporo about
any special bus and lift-pass deals that are on offer. There is a train
from the capital but it takes longer and costs more; if you're coming
from Asahikawa, the train journey is only one hour and fifteen minutes.
Buses run from the train station to the ski resort, and a taxi will cost
less than ¥2000.
A good budget place to stay is the former youth hostel, now called the
Alpine Visitor's Centre (tel 0167/22-1311, fax 23-4385; under ¥3000),
five minutes' walk from the ski lifts, with bunk-bed dorms or twins, and
good-value package deals on accommodation and lift passes. The young
staff are enthusiastic, and one or two of them are likely to speak
English well. They also organize balloon trips all year round, plus
adventure sports in summer such as rafting, mountain biking and
horseback riding. Only breakfast is served but there are several
restaurants nearby. The most aesthetically pleasing place to stay in
Furano, if you can get a reservation, is Pension Phytoncide (tel
0167/39-1551, fax 39-1552; ¥20,000-30,000). Named after a healing
essence produced by green plants, this new country inn is a perfect
example of Japanese luxury in simplicity. The owners bake their own
bread, and serve foods grown on their organic farm. Each of the six
Western-style rooms has its own bath/toilet, and one of the rooms is
wheelchair-accessible. The two Prince hotels are comfortable but pricey
- the Furano Prince (tel 0167/23-4111, fax 22-3430; ¥15,000-20,000), a
giant, tent-shaped lodge rising out of the snow, is closer to the rest
of the resort, while the New Furano (tel 0167/22-1111, fax 22-1189;
¥20,000-30,000), a more modern, oval-shaped tower block, is tucked away
on its own a few kilometres south, and has a heated swimming pool and
several restaurants.
There's a decent range of eating options on the mountain, though you're
likely to eat in your hotel or pension at night, as meals are generally
inclusive. For sheer entertainment value, be sure to try some of the
"healthy steak" at the Cola Company Museum, Restaurant and Bar . If you
follow owner Mitsuhiro Wada's rather bizarre list of rules, and eat some
of the "handmade food", he'll show you his amazing collection of
Hollywood movie memorabilia.
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